FOI/202500483492 · FOI · not held
Disclosure Scotland's use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology: FOI release
Information requested
1) AI Systems in use
• A list of tools, platforms or systems currently deployed or being piloted/trialled.
• The purpose and function of each of the above.
• The departments or services where these are operational.
2) Procurement and development
• Details of any contracts, tenders or partnerships with external providers for AI solutions.
• Total expenditure on AI related technologies over the past three financial years, broken down by year.
3) Governance and Ethical Oversight
• Copies of, or information relating to, any internal policies, frameworks or guidance documents relating to the use of AI.
• Any ethical review processes or risk assessments conducted prior to deployment.
• Details of any group responsible for the oversight of AI use within your organisation.
4) Impact on Workforce
• Any assessments, reports or internal communications regarding the impact of AI on staffing levels, job roles or workforce planning (including recruitment, redundancy).
• Information on any roles that have been automated, restructured or made redundant due to AI implementation.
• Details of any training, redeployment or upskilling initiatives offered to staff in response to the adoption of AI.
• Any consultations with trade unions or staff representatives regarding AI-related changes.
5) Performance and Evaluation
• Evaluations, audits or performance reviews of AI systems, as referenced in section 1.
• Evidence of how AI systems have affected service delivery, decision-making or operational efficiency.
6) Data protection and privacy
• Types of data used to train or operate AI systems, including whether this data is synthetic or not.
• Measures in place to ensure compliance with data protection legislation, including the DPA 2018 and UK GDPR.
• Procedures for handling bias, transparency and accountability in AI decision-making.
Response
I have answered each of your questions below.
1) AI Systems in use
A list of tools, platforms or systems currently deployed or being piloted/trialled. The purpose and function of each of the above. The departments or services where these are operational.
Disclosure Scotland has no AI platforms or systems currently in use or being piloted/trialled.
Disclosure Scotland does have access to the Microsoft Copilot tool, which is available in the Microsoft package that is supplied to Disclosure Scotland by the core Scottish Government. We do not record which specific departments within Disclosure Scotland are using Copilot, as this is not required for individual ad-hoc use of general purpose generative AI, in the context of day to day administrative tasks, although we do support that use with guidance to help ensure safe and secure data handling.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
2) Procurement and development
Details of any contracts, tenders or partnerships with external providers for AI solutions. Total expenditure on AI related technologies over the past three financial years, broken down by year.
Disclosure Scotland has no contracts, tenders or partnerships with external providers for AI solutions and so has no expenditure on AI related technologies.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
3) Governance and Ethical Oversight
Copies of, or information relating to, any internal policies, frameworks or guidance documents relating to the use of AI.
Disclosure Scotland does not currently have signed off internal policies, frameworks or guidance documents on AI other than the below relating to the use of Copilot as Disclosure Scotland is not actively using AI.
For use of Copilot, Disclosure Scotland created and communicated a set of rules which we have provided as an attachment.
Where Disclosure Scotland needs advice on the development of their own internal policies we have access to the Scottish Governments documentation.
Any ethical review processes or risk assessments conducted prior to deployment.
Disclosure Scotland has not deployed any AI systems.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
Details of any group responsible for the oversight of AI use within your organisation.
Disclosure Scotland has no current groups who are solely responsible for the oversight of AI use.
4) Impact on Workforce
Any assessments, reports or internal communications regarding the impact of AI on staffing levels, job roles or workforce planning (including recruitment, redundancy).
Disclosure Scotland does not hold assessments, reports or internal communications regarding the impact of specific AI technology on staffing levels, job roles or workforce planning.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
Information on any roles that have been automated, restructured or made redundant due to AI implementation.
Disclosure Scotland has not carried out the above specifically about the impact on workforce due to AI.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
Details of any training, redeployment or upskilling initiatives offered to staff in response to the adoption of AI.
As per question 3, for use of Copilot, Disclosure Scotland created and communicated a set of rules which we have provided as an attachment.
Any consultations with trade unions or staff representatives regarding AI-related changes.
Disclosure Scotland has not carried out the above specifically about the impact on workforce due to AI.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
5) Performance and Evaluation As above
Evaluations, audits or performance reviews of AI systems, as referenced in section 1. Evidence of how AI systems have affected service delivery, decision-making or operational efficiency.
Disclosure Scotland has not deployed any AI systems to evaluate.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
6) Data protection and privacy
Types of data used to train or operate AI systems, including whether this data is synthetic or not.
Disclosure Scotland has not deployed any AI systems.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
Measures in place to ensure compliance with data protection legislation, including the DPA 2018 and UK GDPR.
Disclosure Scotland has not deployed any AI systems which require additional data protection measures other than already in place.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
Procedures for handling bias, transparency and accountability in AI decision-making.
Disclosure Scotland has not deployed any AI systems which require additional procedures.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Detected exemption language
5) Performance and Evaluation • Evaluations, audits or performance reviews of AI systems, as referenced in section 1. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Disclosure Scotland does not have the information you have requested.